What is a High Ankle Sprain?

If you’re a professional basketball fan you’ve undoubtedly seen one of the players on your favourite team hobbling off the court in pain, often supported by teammates or the trainer. If the player is suffering from a high ankle sprain, he could be off the court for as little as a week for a mild sprain, but the more serious version could keep him out for months. When a star player gets injured in this fashion, he may not break the ankle, but he breaks many fans’ hearts.

High Ankle Sprain: Definition and Causes

A high ankle sprain differs from the mild sprain that occurs when you roll your ankle. The ankle joint is a complex one, because it is the location where the two lower leg bones, the tibia (shin bone) and the fibula (outer leg bone), come together and join to the foot.

A high ankle sprain is an injury

to the ligaments (connective tissue that joins two bones),

of your sydesmosis (a fibrous joint at the juncture of the two leg bones just above the ankle bone that includes Interosseous Membrane between the two bones), and

the anterior (front) and posterior (back) Tibio-Fibular ligaments.

A high ankle sprain generally results from force reverberating through the ankle (e.g., when you slam it into the ground) combined with the rotational stress of turning the foot outward in relation to the leg.

Imagine two basketball players leaping for a rebound and colliding as they hit the ground, with one player’s knee knocking into the other’s. The two lower leg bones may be forced apart, the force causing the ligaments to stretch too far or tear.

It can also happen during side-to-side running, turning while in motion or stopping and starting your feet repetitively.

How do you know if you have High Ankle Sprain?

Symptoms of a high ankle sprain may include:

Minor swelling.

Significant bruising to the inside, outside and higher portion of the ankle.

Inability to walk.

Severe pain.

Pain when you try to rotate the ankle outward.

Pain when the ankle is touched.

How long does it take to recover from a High Ankle Sprain?

When a high ankle sprain occurs, it is with one of three degrees of severity. The recommended treatment for a high ankle sprain depends on the degree of severity involved. High ankle sprains are slower to heal than the more common low ankle sprains. While they heal, your physician may suggest a brace, splint or cast to immobilize the ankle as it heals.

Grade 1 sprain: This is the mildest variety of sprain with minimal damage to the ligaments, usually accompanied by pain and swelling. These milder sprains are generally treated with rest, ice, elevation and compression. Healing usually takes about six weeks, although you may not be ready to return to action immediately. You may experience joint stiffness and muscle weakness or tightness.

Grade 2 sprain: These sprains involve extreme stretching of the ligament and may include a partial tear. There is usually significant bruising and swelling under the skin and the ankle is unstable. It generally takes 6 to 12 weeks for recovery.

Grade 3 sprain: The most severe sprain involves a complete rupture of the ligament and walking is usually difficult. It may require surgery, especially if there is a lot of instability: your surgeon can insert a “syndesmotic screw” between the tibia and fibula to hold the bones in place while the ligament heals and is able to hold the bones in their proper positions. High ankle sprain rehab following surgery generally takes 3 to 6 months.

How do you treat a High Ankle Sprain?

Proper recovery from a high ankle sprain includes three phases, no matter how severe the injury:

Rest, swelling reduction and protecting the ankle.

Restoring range of motion, flexibility and strength.

Returning to normal activities.

Your physiotherapist will be instrumental in the recovery process, providing you with exercises and treatment that will assist you in returning to regular activities. Your physician may also suggest that you wear an ankle brace when you participate in sports.

Prevention

Unfortunately, once you experience a Grade 3 sprain, you are more prone to high ankle sprains. You can attempt to prevent further sprains by:

Stretching properly before you exercise.

Warming up beforehand and cooling down afterward.

Discussing any planned new physical activities with your physiotherapist.

When participating in high-impact sports, be conscious of your footwork.

Stay hydrated, especially during the activity.

A high ankle sprain may put you out of action for a while, but with patience and effort, you’ll soon be back in the game.

Hongmei Mi – RMT

Registered Massage Therapist

Graduating from the Massage Therapy Program at Vancouver Career College, Hongmei is equipped with extensive knowledge and experience to heal and relax the human body.

What sets Hongmei apart is her background in engineering and experience as a traditional Chinese masseuse. This has allowed Hongmei to effectively design and execute treatment plans that not only treat specific areas of the body, but to also view and treat the patient comprehensively.

Whether you are looking for a specific technique or a creative combination of a few, Hongmei does it all! – Including: Swedish massage, deep tissue massage, fascial work, joint mobilization, traditional Chinese massage and foot reflexology just to name a few.

In her spare time, Hongmei enjoys appreciating what nature has to offer, whether it be hiking or gardening.

Kevin Prudencio – B.Kin, BCAK

Practicing Kinesiologist

Kevin graduated from the Kinesiology program at the University of British Columbia with special interests in active health and rehabilitation. Throughout his schooling, Kevin worked as a certified personal trainer and a cardiac rehabilitation program instructor.

Kevin has experience working with patients of all ages and a wide variety of physical abilities. Currently he also works at Vancouver Coastal Health’s knee and hip replacement program. There he applies many of the strength and conditioning principles he learned coaching varsity sports at UBC and applies them to the clinical setting focusing more on rehabilitation and return to work goals.

Kevin believes that exercise and physical activity are crucial components in physical recovery and overcoming pain. He believes in educating his clients about their conditions and developing goals to get people back to life, work and sports.

Practice what you preach; Kevin is an avid weight lifter, loves badminton, soccer and on his days off enjoys salsa and hip hop dancing.

Trevor O’Malley – BHK, MPT

Registered Physiotherapist

Trevor completed his Master of Physical Therapy and Bachelor of Human Kinetics from the University of British Columbia. As a clinician, Trevor has a special interest in sports injuries, chronic pain, and orthopedic rehabilitation.

He is an advocate of evidence-based practice, and believes that education and exercise therapy are fundamental to improving rehabilitation outcomes. Currently, he has completed his Canadian Physiotherapy Association Orthopedic Division Level 1 certification, and continues to be involved in continuing education. Trevor is a proud member of Physiotherapy Association of British Columbia, and continues to promote physiotherapy throughout the community through volunteering.

On his weekends, Trevor enjoys spending his time in the outdoors; skiing, rock climbing, and fly-fishing.

Jaspreet Kaur – BPT

Registered Physiotherapist

Jaspreet graduated as a physiotherapist from Guru Nanak Dev University in India in 2011. She is passionate in providing the best quality treatments and outcomes to her patients. Jaspreet has a strong work ethic and interpersonal skills and enjoys participating in a collaborative team approach at work.

Some of Jaspreets’ other notable achievements and skills include:

Moved to Canada in 2013, and achieved post graduate certification
(Honours) in exercise science and lifestyle management from Humber College, Ontario. Clinical expertise and experience in a variety of areas with particular emphasis on outpatient orthopedics and athletic injuries. Experience as a personal trainer at Humber College, Toronto. Working as Physiotherapist since 2011 in a variety of clinical settings
including both hospital and private practice, treating acute, chronic and sports injuries, whiplash associated disorders, work related injuries, various musculoskeletal impairments, TMJ dysfunctions and post-surgical conditions. Jaspreet also has experience with a multitude of neck, back, joint aches, pains and a variety of medical conditions and dysfunctions. Jaspreet is also involved in continuing education, workshops, seminars and research to keep her skills up to date and is constantly learning new ways to help her patients. Jaspreet believes in educating her patients about their conditions and post treatment home programs to help improve their quality of life and reach their desired goals.

Ronak Kapadia – BPT, MAPAH

Registered Physiotherapist

Ronak Kapadia completed a Bachelors of Physiotherapy at the Health Sciences Dept. of Rajiv Gandhi University in India where he underwent intensive training at an 810 bed hospital. He has worked a physiotherapist in hospitals, orthopaedic clinics, community and university settings.

After gaining a few years of work experience Ronak pursued and successfully completed a Masters degree in Physical Activity and Health from University of Erlangen-Nuremberg in Germany where he was involved in research projects and received further clinical training.

Ronak has a special interest in orthopaedic and neurological conditions. He has specialized training in manual therapy techniques as well as a Yoga certification from India. He has extensive experience in dealing with musculoskeletal pathologies, sports related injuries as well as neurological conditions. He believes in hands-on therapy and applies manual therapy techniques in many of his treatment sessions. Ronak believes in lifelong learning and yearns for knowledge by researching and engaging new strategies and techniques to further help his clients.

Ronak is a very passionate and client focused physical therapist. He has a very pleasing personality, professional attitude and takes utmost care of his patients in order to obtain the best clinical results possible.

Languages known: English, Hindi, Gujarati, understands Punjabi

In his free time Ronak likes to sing, play music, meditate and go for a walk.

Deepika Sawant – BPT, MAS (Global Health)

Registered Physiotherapist

Deepika graduated with a Bachelors of Physiotherapy from Pravara Institute of Medical Sciences, Maharashtra University of Health Science in India in 2007. She was University topper and Topper of her College with distinction in Psychology during her bachelors. (This means top of her class.) In addition, she holds a Masters degree in Global health and Human Administration services from Fairleigh Dickinson University, New Jersey, USA (2013). She worked as a Registered Physiotherapist in India in both hospital and clinic based settings.

Deepika immigrated to Canada in 2012 and completed a Canadian Healthcare Content Course at University of Toronto. She then finished her IEP program from UBC in 2015 and has passed the written and practical component of the Canadian Physiotherapy National Exam.

She uses integrated manual therapy with exercise prescription to treat Orthopedic, neurological, sports, work related and motor vehicle accident injuries. Her areas of interest are sports injuries, chronic pain, neurological conditions, post op patients and exercise prescription. In her physiotherapy practice, she works hard to educate each of her patients on strategies for self-care and integrating exercise into the daily schedule. She strongly believes that good communication and follow-ups are important factors in ensuring continued care and managing a healthy lifestyle. Deepika is fluent in English, Hindi and Marathi and understands and speaks some Punjabi and Gujarati.

In her spare time, Deepika helps students preparing for the Canadian National exam to become registered physiotherapist in Canada. Her hobbies are dancing, swimming and travelling to new places.

Parneet Sandhu- BPT, MAS

Registered Physiotherapist

Parneet Sandhu is a registered physiotherapist with more than six years of experience; 4 years in India and two years in Canada. She obtained her bachelor’s degree in Physiotherapy from one of the most reputed universities in India and subsequently completed a Masters in Administrative Sciences in BC.

As a former international athlete with an ongoing interests in health and fitness Parneet integrates her philosophies and experiences into her physiotherapy practice. Parneet follows an evidence based treatment style and coordinates with other health professionals in circle of care in order to improve treatment outcomes. She is experienced in treating patients with a variety of conditions such as orthopaedic, neurological, work related injuries, motor vehicle accident injuries, sports injuries, post-operative rehabilitation and much more.

Parneet uses her diverse skill set to empower her clients in reaching their desired goals. Parneet is also certified in Functional Dry Needling. In her free time Parneet keeps her sporting spirit alive by hiking and exploring new places.

Jonathan Heilbrunn – B.Sc (PT), CAFCI, FCAMT

Registered Physiotherapist

Jonathan Heilbrunn is a Registered Physiotherapist and graduate of the University of Western Ontario.

Clinical expertise in many areas of physiotherapy with particular emphasis on outpatient orthopedics and athletic injuries Diploma in Advanced Manual Therapy; a Fellow with the Canadian Academy of Manual Therapists Certified with the Acupuncture Foundation of Canada 15+ years experience in a variety of clinical settings treating both acute and chronic injuries stemming from sports injuries, motor vehicular accidents, various musculo-skeletal impairments, post surgical conditions, as well as normal every day aches and pains

The key to successful rehabilitation must involve educating patients on their diagnoses or injury and to help them to improve their quality of life and regain independence.